Machine for covering bottles and other containers with netting

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a machine for covering bottles and other containers with netting, which includes a general framework in which there is arranged a group of mechanisms of simultaneous or successive functioning, together with means to operate them, which mechanisms are: an additional mechanism for feeding tubular netting from an upper storage drum to an expander device; the said device for expanding the netting; the mechanism for drawing the netting; the mechanism for stapling and cutting the lower extremity of the netting; the mechanism for stapling and cutting the upper extremity of the netting; the support mechanism for the container to be covered with netting, and the mechanism for feeding staples, complemented in an optional manner by an automatic mechanism for the entry of the bare bottle and the exit of the bottled covered with netting to a chain, store or for subsequent operations.

States atet Fernandez Jan. 7, 1975 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS MACHINE FOR COVERING BOTTLES AND OTHER CONTAINERS WITH NETTING Inventor: Cesar Alvarez Fernandez, Madrid,

Spain Assignee: Fernando A. De Terry, S. A., Puerto De Santa Maria (Cadiz), Spain Filed: July 19, 1973 Appl. No.: 380,684

US. Cl. 53/13811, 53/180 Int. Cl B65b 9/10 Field of Search. 53/138 R, 138 A, 179,180 M,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Italy 53/138 R Primary Examiner-Travis S. McGehee Assistant Examiner-John Sipos [5 7] ABSTRACT The present invention relates to a machine for covering bottles and other containers with netting, which includes a general framework in which there is arranged a group of mechanisms of simultaneous or successive functioning, together with means to operate them, which mechanisms are: an additional mechanism for feeding tubular netting from an upper storage drum to an expander device; the said device for expanding the netting; the mechanism for drawing the netting; the mechanism for stapling and cutting the lower extremity of the netting; the mechanism for stapling and cutting the upper extremity of the netting; the support mechanism for the container to be covered with netting,'and the mechanism for feeding staples, complemented in an optional manner by an automatic mechanism for the entry of the bare bottle and the exit of the bottled covered with netting to a chain, store or for subsequent operations.

8 Claims, 2 Drawing; Figures Patented Jan. 7, 1975 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Jan. 7, 1975 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

MACHINE FOR COVERING BOTTLES AND OTHER CONTAINERS WITH NETTING The present Patent of Invention is concerned with a machine that automatically covers bottles and other containers of diverse forms with netting.

The material utilized is a continuous tubular netting which, in accordance with the external forms of the bottles or containers to be covered with netting, presents different diameters joined by truncated conical zones, either transitional or for application to the body of the bottle, which are symmetrically repeated along the whole length of the said tubular netting, which is rolled flat on a storage drum.

The machine in accordance with the invention carried out the following operations:

The drawing of the netting over the container to be covered, the length of the said container being covered with a surplus.

The closing and stapling of the two ends of the netting drawn over the container.

The cutting of the netting at both ends of the container covered at places in the immediate vicinity of the points where stapling is effected.

And the following auxiliary operations, which are preliminary to the carrying out of the principal operations indicated above:

The drawing of the netting from the storage drum to the expander.

The transverse cutting of the tubular netting at the height necessary to leave prepared the adequate gripping diameter to initiate the operation of covering the exterior of the bottle or container.

The automatic entry and exit of the bottle into and from the machine (before it is covered with netting and after it has been covered with netting).

All these operations are realized successively or simultaneously by the different complexes or mechanisms into which the machine for applying the netting can be considered to be subdivided.

a. An additional mechanism for feeding the tubular netting from the storage drum to the expander device.

b. A device for expanding the netting.

c. The complex of the mechanism for drawing the netting.

d. The mechanism for stapling and cutting at the lower extremity.

e. The mechanism for stapling and cutting at the upper extremity.

f. The support mechanism for the container to be covered with netting.

g. The mechanism for feeding the staples.

h. The mechanism for the entry of the bare bottle and of exit of the bottle covered with the netting.

In order that the purpose of the invention may be better understood, and only by way of example, some sheets of drawings are attached in which there are schematically illustrated some forms of preferential realization of the above-mentioned mechanisms or complexes, which we shall now proceed to describe, referring to their constituent elements and principal parts in accordance with the following nomenclature.

FIG. 1 represents schematically the front elevation of the machine for applying the netting, corresponding to the left side of a complex constituted by two twin machines.

FIG. 2 shows a lateral view of the same machine through the section II-II of FIG. I.

NOMENCLATURE Double-acting pneumatic cylinder Ring Thrusting feet Storage drum Vertical rod Elastic expander Spindle-shaped terminal Guide sleeve Pneumatic cylinder Upper cylindrical tube Middle cylindrical tube Pneumatic cylinders (elevation of 10) Recessed zone Anti-slip annular piece (counter-clamp) Elbow-bend rocker shafts Fixed shafts Pneumatic cylinder (for driving 15) Lower cylindrical tube 19. Crosshead 20. Pneumatic cylinder (for raising and lowering claws) 2l. Mechanism for stapling and cutting the lower extremity 22. General framework 23. Moveable part 24. Pneumatic cylinder 25. Clamp pieces 26. Support cup 27. Tubular rod 28. Pneumatic cylinder (for raising and lowering the support) 29. Checkpiece 30. Rod

A. ADDITIONAL FEED MECHANISM FOR TUBULAR NETTING This is essentially constituted by a double-acting pneumatic cylinder (9) or other high-speed driving device that produces an alternating movement of string (2) which has two or more thrusting feet (3) attached to it, whose mission is to draw the tubular netting from the storage drum (4) accumlating :it towards the lower part of a vertical rod (5) over which the said ring (2) slides freely. Its function is to store on the vertical rod (5) a certain quantity of netting additional to that with which the bottle is covered by the action of the traction clamps of the mechanism for drawing the netting (c) in its downward movement.

B. DEVICE FOR EXPANDING THE NETTING The said vertical rod (5) forms :a part of the device that expands the tubular netting and at its lower end it is equipped with a truncated conical complex of steel strips of a form and thickness appropriate to each case, which acts as an elastic expander (6). At its upper part, it has a spindle-shaped terminal (7) of greater diameter than the said rod (5), whose lower chamfered edge is seated on the corresponding interior conical step that provides it with a guide sleeve (8).

The device for expanding the netting (b) is endowed with vertical upward and downward movements controlled by a cylinder (1). These movements have the function of organizing the play essential for the passage of the tubular netting. This is achieved by means of a checkpiece (29) which makes contact with the stopper of the bottle and which is fixed to the lower end of a rod (30) which extends the vertical rod (5) in a downward direction. The position illustrated in FIG. 1 corresponds to the moment at which the netting is passing.

The tubular netting contained in the storage drum (4) descends in a flattened form and is initially converted into a tube by the spindle-shaped terminal (7) which it closely grips, circulating through the free space existing between the said terminal and the guide sleeve (8); it subsequently passes through the interior of the ring (2) and slides over the vertical rod (5) to be finally extended by the elastic expander (6) to a diameter greater than that of the container to be covered by the said netting.

C. MECHANISM FOR DRAWING THE NETTING This consists of an upper cylindrical tube (10) with an interior diameter that permits it to house the container to be covered by the netting, and with its lower part designed to slide within a middle cylindrical tube (11). The longitudinal movements of one tube with respect to the other are produced by three pneumatic cylinders (l2) fitted to the middle cylindrical tube (11), (shown in FIG. 1). The upper cylindrical tube (10) has on the exterior of its upper part a throat or recessed zone (13) (FIG. 2) in which there is housed an anti-slip annular piece (14) which constitutes the fixed part common to the traction clamps of the netting, whose moving parts are elbow-bend rocker arms (15) which tilt on fixed shafts (l6) solidly joined to the upper cylindrical tube (10), the lower branch of each one of which rocker arms is driven by its corresponding pneumatic cylinder (17), which is likewise fixed to the above-mentioned tube.

The middle cylindrical tube (11) effects an altemating rectilinear movement of raising and lowering, driven by a principal pneumatic cylinder by means of a known system of transmission, which can be a crosshead 19) for the case of direct transmission, or, in a preferable version, the lower cylindrical tube (18) has fixed on its generatrix a rack that permanently meshes with the end pinion of a gear train that transmits the movement from the principal pneumatic cylinder (20).

D. MECHANISM FOR STAPLING AND FOR CUTTING AT THE LOWER EXTREMITY This is constituted by a complex (21) independently fitted on the general framework (22) at an appropriate height which is adjusted in accordance with the length of the container that is to be covered with netting, (FIG. 2).

It consists of a moving part (23) which is driven by a pneumatic cylinder (24) through a gear train or other known means that transmit the rectilinear movement of the piston of the cylinder to the pieces that carry the components of the mechanism for stapling and cutting, in such a manner that they are situated, on one advancing towards the other, at the points where the netting is cut and stapled.

E. MECHANISM FOR STAPLING AND FOR CUTTING AT THE UPPER EXTREMITY This complex is identical, with respect to its functioning and components, with the complex described in the section (d) above. The only difference consists of a device for holding the bottle by the neck, which keeps it suspended in order to be able to carry out freely the operations of stapling and cutting the lower part of the netting; this holding device is constituted by a clamp formed by two pieces (25) with semi-circular housing, each one of which is joined to one of the pieces of the moving parts that carry the components of the mechanism for stapling and cutting the netting.

When the machine is equipped with an entry and exit mechanism with automatic transportation of the bottle (h), the claws of the bottle transport carriage also serve to hold the bottle after it has been covered with netting.

F. SUPPORT MECHANISM OF THE CONTAINER TO BE COVERED WITH THE NETTING It is arranged in a position coaxial with the mechanism for drawing the netting (c) and positions the support cup (26) which is fitted on the upper end of a tubular rod (27) which is endowed with an alternating raising and lowering movement by means of a lower pneumatic cylinder (28) through any known transmission mechanism (gears, cams, etc.). In a preferred realization, the movement is transmitted by means of an' arm with a collar that grips the rod at a point situated at half the height of the latter. The interior of the said circular rod (27 is utilized as a channel for the evacuation by gravity of the part of the netting resulting from the cutting at the lower extremity.

G. STAPLE FEED MECHANISM This consists of a commercial vibrator feed device, electrically operated, with an adjustable output and with two exits, fixed on the upper part of the general framework (22) of the machine. From each exit of the vibrator, the metal staples descend by gravity, led by a guide profile of section and length adequate to the type of staple being used; one of these guide profiles terminates on the staple receiver of the moving part (23) of the mechanism for stapling and cutting at the upper extremity (e), while the other terminates on the staple receiver corresponding to the mechanism for stapling and cutting the lower part of the netting (d).

FUNCTIONING After the action of placing netting on a bottle, the netting extends beyond the lower edge of the elastic expander (6), where some 60-70 mm. of the said netting hangs, and there are arranged in their most elevated position the support cup (26) and the checkpiece (29) pertaining to the netting expander device (b), while the complex of cylindrical tubes (ll) (18) is situated in its lowest position; the piece (10) is situated in the upper position.

Starting from this position, the feed mechanism (h) places a bottle on the support cup (26) and the cylinder (20) is operated manually or automatically; the said cylinder, by means of the corresponding mechanism, raised the above-mentioned complex of tubes until the elements (14) and (15) of the clamps reach the height of the hanging skirt of the netting; they close on the said netting and grip it strongly through the action of the cylinders (17) which operate the elbow-bend rocker arms (15) and cause their upper ends, fitted with anti-slip terminals, to press against the anti-slip annular piece (14), which is housed in the recessed zone (13) of the upper cylindrical tube (10). There is then operated the cylinder which causes the complex of the expander to advance downward until the checkpiece (29) that prolongs the lower part of the vertical rod (5) that supports the spindle-shaped terminal (7) makes contact with the upper plane of the stopper of the bottle; starting from this moment, the complex advances a further 2-3 mm., producing the loss of contact between the lower chamfer of the said terminal (7 and the interior conical seat of the guide sleeve (8), thus producing the play necessary to permit the free passage of the netting. Following on this, when the complex of cylinders (ll) (18) descends, the netting is drawn over and covers the bottle.

The said netting covers the bottle. In addition to being drawn by the clamps of the rocker arms it is thrust with a series of rapid alternating movements effected by the thrusting feet (3) of the ring (2) as a result of the movements of the double-action cylinder (9); this avoids breakages and ensures that the narrow diameter of the said netting easily fits over the shoulders of the bottle, while the broad diameter covers the body and extends a little over the lower part.

There then comes into operation the mechanism for stapling and cutting at the upper extremity, whose clamp holds the bottle under the bottleneck. There immediately withdraw upward the checkpiece (29), and the support cup (26) downward, the obstacles disappearing and the netting remaining free at the two ends of the bottle; through the action of a diaphragm mechanism (not shown) the netting closes at its upper part beneath the expander. When the mechanism for stapling and cutting at the lower extremity (d) begins to function, there approach one another the pairs of opposed plates that reduce the diameter of the tubular netting and present it in the form of a string so that the stapling device may function.

Following on this, the cylinder (10) carrying the clamps descends to the lower position, there remaining free from the said clamps the portion of the netting that hung below the lower edge of the bottle. When the lower cutting blades enter into action, the netting is cut and the resulting remainder is evacuated by gravity through the longitudinal orifice of the tubular rod (27) which carries the bottles.

On the cutting being effected at the upper and lower extremities and on the tubular rod (27) and the complex of the netting expander (b) returning to their initial position, the machine is ready to commence a new working cycle.

All the movements that we have mentioned, and the corresponding retrograde movements, are effected automatically and at the moment necessary through the agency of electric contacts at the end of the run which, once the machine is started on the first contact being operated, bring into service at the necessary moment the different pneumatic cylinders that operate the different mechanisms and devices that form the complex of the netting machine.

The circumstances of size, form and material particularly referred to each one of the elements that constitute the complex are variable; in the said complex there may be varied or substituted all that which does not imply an alteration in the essence of the purpose expounded in the foregoing description, which should be taken in its broadest sense, and not as a limitation of possibilities of realization.

I claim:

1. A machine for covering bottles and other containers with netting, comprising:

an upper storage drum holding a supply of tubular netting in collapsed flat form;

netting feed means below said drum and including a vertical rod cooperating with a reciprocable thrust means for receiving said netting from said drum and feeding said netting in a downwardly direction about said rod;

a generally conical shaped expander device having its apex adjacent the lower end. of said rod thereby causing said netting to expand radially as it is fed over said rod and said expander device;

a mechanism independently reciprocable with respect to said expander device for drawing the netting around said container, said drawing mechanism including clamping means to grasp netting hanging down below said expander device when said drawing mechanism is in an elevated position and for pulling said netting around the length of said container to a position below said container when said drawing mechanism is moved to a lowered position;

means for stapling and cutting the upper and lower extremities of the netting above and below said container, respectively;

a support mechanism for the container to be covered with netting; and

an automatic mechanism for the entry of bare containers and the exit of containers covered with netting for subsequent handling.

2. A machine for covering bottles and other containers with netting as claimed in claim 1, wherein said netting feed means comprises:

, a double-action pneumatic cylinder;

a ring having at least two thrust feet attached thereto,

said ring being operably connected with said pneumatic cylinder for producing an alternating movement of said ring and thrust feet draw the netting from said storage drum and advance it downwardly about said vertical rod over which said ring slides freely.

3. A machine for covering bottles and other containers with netting as claimed in claim 2, wherein said expander is connected to the lower end of said vertical rod and comprises a truncated conical complex of steel strips meeting at said apex and flaring downwardly, said machine further comprising:

a spindle-shaped terminal of greater diameter than said rod at the upper end of said rod;

a guide sleeve about said terminal and having an internal seat for the lower end of said terminal;

means for selectively seating said terminal on said sleeve, said tubular netting being slidable between said sleeve and said terminal.

4. A machine for covering bottles and other containers with netting as claimed in claim 3, wherein said means for selectively seating comprises:

a second rod depending from the lower end of said vertical rod; and

a checkpiece at the lower extremity of said second rod to make contact with the top of said container and thereby release said terminal from said sleeve to permit downward passage of said netting when said container is raised.

5. A machine for covering bottles and other containers with netting as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mechanism for drawing the netting comprises an upper cylindrical tube with an interior diameter that permits it to loosely house the container to be covered with netting, and an outer cylindrical tube slidably encompassing said upper cylindrical tube, the latter being movable through the action of a plurality of pneumatic cylinders fixed to the outer cylindrical tube, the exterior upper part of said upper tube comprising:

a recessed zone;

an anti-slip annular member in said recessed zone;

traction clamps for clamping the nettting between said annular member and said clamps, said traction clamps including movable elbow-bend rocker arms that tilt on shafts solidly fixed to the upper cylindrical tube, the lower branch of each one of which being operated by a corresponding pneumatic cylinder, likewise fixed to the said upper tube.

6. A machine for covering bottles and other containers with netting as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for stapling and cutting comprises a pair of pposing movable parts driven by a pneumatic cylinder, one of said moving parts comprising a receiving element for staples and one of a pair of opposed gathering plates that bring about the narrowing of the diameter of the tubular netting prior to stapling and cutting;

the other moving part comprising a corresponding gathering plate, staples, and a cutting blade operated by an independent pneumatic cylinder.

7. A machine for covering bottles and other containers with netting as claimed in claim 6, wherein the mechanism for stapling and cutting the upper extremity includes a device for holding the neck of the container to be covered with netting, which action holds the said container suspended in order to be able to carry out freely the operation of stapling and cutting the upper and lower extremities of the netting, which holding device is constituted by a clamp formed by two opposing pieces with semicircular housing, one of which is attached to one of the moving parts, while the other is attached to the opposed moving part.

8. A machine for covering bottles and other containers with netting as claimed in claim 5, wherein the support mechanism for the container to be covered with netting is arranged in a position coaxial with the mechanism for drawing the netting, and including a support cup situated in the interior of the complex of cylindrical tubes and fitted on the upper end of a tubular rod guided by a fixed sliding bearing. 

1. A machine for covering bottles and other containers with netting, comprising: an upper storage drum holding a supply of tubular netting in collapsed flat form; netting feed means below said drum and including a vertical rod cooperating with a reciprocable thrust means for receiving said netting from said drum and feeding said netting in a downwardly direction about said rod; a generally conical shaped expander device having its apex adjacent the lower end of said rod thereby causing said netting to expand radially as it is fed over said rod and said expander device; a mechanism independently reciprocable with respect to said expander device for drawing the netting around said container, said drawing mechanism including clamping means to grasp netting hanging down below said expander device when said drawing mechanism is in an elevated position and for pulling said netting around the length of said container to a position below said container when said drawing mechanism is moved to a lowered position; means for stapling and cutting the upper and lower extremities of the netting above and below said container, respectively; a support mechanism for the container to be covered with netting; and an automatic mechanism for the entry of bare containers and the exit of containers covered with netting for subsequent handling.
 2. A machine for covering bottles and other containers with netting as claimed in claim 1, wherein said netting feed means comprises: a double-action pneumatic cylinder; a ring having at least two thrust feet attached thereto, said ring being operably connected with said pneumatic cylinder for producing an alternating movement of said ring and thrust feet draw the netting from said storage drum and advance it downwardly about said vertical rod over which said ring slides freely.
 3. A machine for covering bottles and other containers with netting as claimed in claim 2, wherein said expander is connected to the lower end of said vertical rod and comprises a truncated conical complex of steel strips meeting at said apex and flaring downwardly, said machine further comprising: a spindle-shaped terminal of greater diameter than said rod at the upper end of said rod; a guide sleeve about said terminal and having an internal seat for the lower end of said terminal; means for selectively seating said terminal on said sleeve, said tubular netting being slidable between said sleeve and said terminal.
 4. A machine for covering bottles and other containers with netting as claimed in claim 3, wherein said means for selectively seating comprises: a second rod depending from the lower end of said vertical rod; and a checkpiece at the lower extremity of said second rod to make contact with the top of said container and thereby release said terminal from said sleeve to permit downward passaGe of said netting when said container is raised.
 5. A machine for covering bottles and other containers with netting as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mechanism for drawing the netting comprises an upper cylindrical tube with an interior diameter that permits it to loosely house the container to be covered with netting, and an outer cylindrical tube slidably encompassing said upper cylindrical tube, the latter being movable through the action of a plurality of pneumatic cylinders fixed to the outer cylindrical tube, the exterior upper part of said upper tube comprising: a recessed zone; an anti-slip annular member in said recessed zone; traction clamps for clamping the nettting between said annular member and said clamps, said traction clamps including movable elbow-bend rocker arms that tilt on shafts solidly fixed to the upper cylindrical tube, the lower branch of each one of which being operated by a corresponding pneumatic cylinder, likewise fixed to the said upper tube.
 6. A machine for covering bottles and other containers with netting as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for stapling and cutting comprises a pair of opposing movable parts driven by a pneumatic cylinder, one of said moving parts comprising a receiving element for staples and one of a pair of opposed gathering plates that bring about the narrowing of the diameter of the tubular netting prior to stapling and cutting; the other moving part comprising a corresponding gathering plate, staples, and a cutting blade operated by an independent pneumatic cylinder.
 7. A machine for covering bottles and other containers with netting as claimed in claim 6, wherein the mechanism for stapling and cutting the upper extremity includes a device for holding the neck of the container to be covered with netting, which action holds the said container suspended in order to be able to carry out freely the operation of stapling and cutting the upper and lower extremities of the netting, which holding device is constituted by a clamp formed by two opposing pieces with semicircular housing, one of which is attached to one of the moving parts, while the other is attached to the opposed moving part.
 8. A machine for covering bottles and other containers with netting as claimed in claim 5, wherein the support mechanism for the container to be covered with netting is arranged in a position coaxial with the mechanism for drawing the netting, and including a support cup situated in the interior of the complex of cylindrical tubes and fitted on the upper end of a tubular rod guided by a fixed sliding bearing. 